Daily life, not markets: customer-centered design

‘‘Customer-centered,’’ ‘‘user experience,’’ ‘‘delighting customers,’’ and ‘‘user-friendly’’ have become mantras for many businesses in recent years. They describe important goals that, if achieved, can lead to competitive success. But the goals are rarely realized and these phrases are acquiring an unintended irony, or worse, the empty ring of a marketing slogan representing no tangible benefit to users at all.